Journal of Humanities & Social Science (JHSS)
The Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences (JHSS) at Dar es Salaam University College of Education (University of Dar es Salaam) is an interdisciplinary refereed journal that disseminates original research works, scientific review works, and proposals for methodological shifts in these fields: anthropology, archeology, development studies, economics, fine art, gender issues, general linguistics, geography, history, language studies, language in education, literary studies, performing art, philosophy, political science and public administration, among others. The journal also seeks to publish high-quality creations and innovations of the theoretical frameworks in the disciplines mentioned.
Dar es Salaam University College of Education (DUCE) & University of Dar es Salaam
Copyright (c) 2017 Journal of Humanities & Social Science (JHSS)
Copyright (c) 2024 Journal of Humanities & Social Science (JHSS)
Operation Kihamo: Sleeping Sickness Control and the Agrarian Question of the Kilombero Valley, 1940s–1961
In the aftermath of the WWII, some historians have typified the post-war period as akin to a second colonial occupation, characterised by ambitious development initiatives. These initiatives, influenced in part by the aftermath of the war, were also driven by government efforts to stimulate rural economic activity. Using the example of sleeping sickness control in the Kilombero Valley as a case study of a rural intervention, this paper examines how such campaigns were emblematic of an underlying development agenda in the region. Drawing on empirical evidence from archival research and fieldwork in the valley, we argue that government interventions in sleeping sickness control went beyond mere eradication efforts. Instead, the colonial administration used the epidemic as a pretext to enforce stringent control measures and implement transformative rural development programmes aimed at modernising the agricultural sector. These initiatives included the establishment of concentrated settlements, the improvement of farming practices among rural peasants, and the introduction of new crops and mandatory cultivation of some selected subsistence and commercial crops. Generally, sleeping sickness control campaigns were used as a caveat to implement both overt and covert development objectives.
Thinking like Nyerere’: Authority Argumentation by Quotation in Tanzanian Parliamentary Discourse
This article examines the manner in which members of parliament (MPs) from one political group in Tanzania appeal to the figure of Mwalimu Nyerere through quotations to back up what they are themselves saying, or attack the political actions of other groups during parliamentary debates. The analysed instances of parliamentary quotations are presented in extracts, which are sourced from two parliamentary debates on the annual ministerial budget speeches by the then Minister for Labour and Employment, and the Minister for Community Development, Gender and Children in the 2015/16 fiscal year. The research data were collected from the website of the Tanzanian parliament as online Hansard transcripts. The MPs’ authority arguments by quotation are analysed from the perspective of pragma-dialectics to establish their effectiveness and reasonableness. The findings indicate that the MPs from one political group cite specific voices of Mwalimu Nyerere to suggest that they think like him, or follow his footsteps; while those from the other political groups do not. The findings further suggest that, while some of such arguments could be considered reasonable, others do not satisfy the dialectical goal of reasonableness, although they seem to be effective. The analysis of authority argumentation by quotation in the Tanzanian parliament is significant for developing research interests in African parliamentary discourse, and it contributes to the pragma-dialectical research on parliamentary argumentation in Africa. Thus, it benefits researchers in African parliamentary discourse, argumentation theory, discourse studies, and other related fields. Further research can investigate other salient features of African parliamentary or political discourse, including the role of metaphor and other figurative expressions in influencing political decisions that influence the electorate.
Men and Women in Uniform: Insiders’ Perspectives on Women’s Leadership Status in Tanzania People’s Defence Forces
This paper examines the leadership status of women in the Tanzania People’s Defence Forces (TPDF). It was guided by three specific objectives: to understand the position of women’s leadership role; identify the challenges constraining women from holding leadership positions; and to examine the measures being taken to enable women hold leadership positions in the TPDF. It collected opinions from the research participants serving—or who served—in the military regarding the position of women as leaders. The study leading to the paper employed a qualitative research approach to collect data from 22 purposively selected respondents. The study found that women hold low leadership status within the TPDF as the majority of senior leadership positions are predominantly held by men. The findings further showed that while some measures have been taken to uplift women’s careers in the military, there are contextual and cultural barriers that still constrain them from holding senior leadership positions. Contextually, there is a laxity in underscoring gender mainstreaming despite the institutional initiatives to address gender diversity gaps in the TPDF. Culturally, there are still uncertainties over the position that women should occupy in the military. A long history of presenting the military as a male career still discourages a significant gender transformation in the military, thereby engendering the adoption of an incremental approach to women’s acquisition of leadership roles in the TPDF. Thus, to effectively coordinate women’s empowerment initiatives in the military, the study recommends the formulation of a gender policy for the armed forces.
The Indigenization of Tobacco Farming and Its Challenges in Iringa District: 1960s–1980s
This paper is about the politics of indigenizing tobacco farming and the challenges associated with it during the post-colonial era. It examines the initiatives of government in facilitating the process, and how the bodies entrusted to ensure its implementation failed to achieve the intended goal. Tobacco farming in Africa and Tanzania has a complex history. Since this crop is essentially labour- and capital- intensive, its beginning in colonial Tanganyika, and Iringa in particular, was dominated by settler farmers. The paper progressively narrates this history, especially on how it became a popular crop among indigenous smallholders in Iringa from 1961. It traces the practice during the colonial time when policies allowed only Greek settlers in Iringa to be involved in tobacco farming, while the indigenous were prohibited from growing it on some grounds, including the fear of competition. The article describes the transformation: how Africans indigenized the crop, while also battling the turbulence of prices, labour issues and changing times in colonial and post-colonial Tanganyika. Based on archival, oral accounts, and documentary sources the paper unravels the institutions that supported the production and marketing of tobacco in Iringa. By engaging the question of the indigenization of tobacco in Iringa, it interrogates the nexus between the processes of Africanizing tobacco growing within the complex capitalist economy of pricing and national economic priorities. The paper concludes by asserting that although the government supported and financed indigenous smallholders in Iringa in tobacco farming, the bodies entrusted to foresee its operation failed to fulfil the goal as anticipated by farmers.
The Socio-economic Dynamics Limiting Actions to Combat Child Labour in Tanzania: The Case of Small-Scale Gold Mining Communities in Tabora Region
This article is based on a study that sought to establish the dynamics that limit actions to combat child labour in small-scale gold mining communities in Tanzania. A qualitative research approach was used to gain a nuanced understanding of the contextual dynamics that limit actions to combat child labour. Other relevant data were sourced from grey literature. Thematic analysis of the collected qualitative data established that the factors limiting actions to combat child labour in small-scale gold mining communities emanate from both household settings and the community at large. The study results revealed several factors that constrain efforts to combat child labour in small-scale gold mining communities. The factors include: wrong perception of communities towards child labour; inadequate parental care; child-headed households valuing small-scale gold mining activities as the major source of income; valuing children’s contribution to the economic well-being of households; the tendency of children adopting their parents’ mining occupation; undervaluing of children’s formal education; and high expectations of becoming rich through mining activities. To curtail child labour in small-scale gold mining communities, there needs to be efforts to address this problem right from the top tier of the government governance to the community level. Policy and legal frameworks against child labour should be enforced, small-scale gold miners should be given specialised training on modern gold mining techniques that are not labour-intensive, and the competent authorities should raise awareness at the community level on the importance and benefits of schooling and children’s education. Also, further research should be carried to establish new strategies for monitoring and controlling child labour in small-scale gold mining communities by taking cognizance of the prevailing socio-economic factors that undermine the current efforts to curtail child labour in the sector.
Distinguishing Criteria for Compound Nouns and Noun Phrases in Kiswahili
Compound nouns and noun phrases tend to confuse because some of the principles governing the formation of the two nominal forms are interrelated. For example, both are made up of two or more words with the main word governing the compound or phrase. Linguists use various criteria to distinguish a compound noun from a noun phrase, including prosody, meaning, lexical cohesion, and orthography. However, these criteria still present difficulty distinguishing a compound noun from a noun phrase. For instance, it is difficult to tell whether the words soko dogo ‘small market’ constitute a compound noun or a noun phrase. This is because it is not clear as to which criteria really distinguish a compound noun from a noun phrase. This article explores the criteria that can distinguish a compound noun from a noun phrase without any ambiguity in Kiswahili language. It is revealed that most words do not fit in the meaning criterion, stress criterion or orthography. The lexical cohesion criterion looks better because many words fit in it. However, some words do not fit all the criteria due to historical changes in the language that have caused changes in structure and meaning. Key words: criteria, prosody
Operation Villagization and Its Implications for Wildlife Conservation in South-western Serengeti, Tanzania: The Case of Maswa Game Reserve, ca. 1970s–1980s
Operation Villagization in Tanzania attracted the attention of many scholars, including historians, inside and outside the country. This is because it is one of the major policies in the history of Tanzania that affected many sectors. Despite the extensive scope of these studies, minimal attention has been devoted to exploring the connections between this operation and wildlife conservation. The current article uses the case of the Maswa Game Reserve (MGR) to examine the extent to which the operation affected wildlife resources conservation. In essence, it argues that poor implementation of the operation led to enormous encroachments in the MGR, which in turn reduced its size by more than 15 percent following several realignments of its western boundary. This led to loss of wildlife habitats and dispersal areas for both residents and migratory ungulates. Moreover, the operation led to a significant loss of wild animals in both the MGR and the Serengeti National Park owing to increased organised poaching activities, and the commercialisation of game meat. (Received: 19 January 2024; Accepted: 6 April 2024; Revised: 25 April 2024)
Exploring the Value of Cannabis and Changing Mindset for Advancing Socio-economic Development in Tanzania, 1891–2023
This paper examines the origin, cultivation, laws, values, uses and other cultural practices connected to cannabis in Tanzania, and other parts of the world, for the purpose of contributing to the existing debate on whether cannabis should be legalised or illegalised in Tanzania and other parts of Africa. The data for this study were collected from both primary and secondary sources, including published documents, oral sources, archival documents and newspapers. Based on the evidence collected, I argue that the values and other benefits accrued from the cultivation and uses of cannabis outweigh the negative impacts which policy makers capitalize on to illegalise the plant. Furthermore, considering the economic, medicinal, social, and cultural values of cannabis, there is a need for enlightening the public to change the attitude towards cannabis so that it can be used to advance the country’s socio-economic development.
“But he did not commit incest…!” A Comparative Analysis of Utenzi wa Nyakiiru Kibi and Oedipus Rex
Human beings share commonalities, many of which are intricately woven into literature. Literary works allow individuals to explore and gain insights into diverse cultures and ideas across spatiotemporal contexts. Against this backdrop, this study compared two literary works, Oedipus Rex (Sophocles, 1992) and Utenzi wa Nyakiiru Kibi [‘Epic of Nyakiiru-Kibi’] (Mulokozi, 1997), to gain insight into the two societies from which the stories are derived. Using Aarne and Thompson’s (1961) classification of the Oedipus story, the study finds that Utenzi wa Nyakiiru Kibi qualifies as an Oedipal story as it meets several Oedipal narrative motifs in the Oedipus story. The epic of Nyakiiru-Kibi presents an Oedipal narrative, a relatively scarce tale in Africa. It presents a complex organisation in the Great Lakes Region, similar to ancient Greece. The similarities between the stories reflect the comparability of sociology, culture and political systems in ancient Greek kingdoms, the Kiziba kingdom and several others in the Great Lakes of East Africa around the 15th century.
The Role of Cooperatives and Farmer-Industry Linkages in the Evolution of Tanga’s Dairy Innovation System
This study investigated the development of Tanga’s dairy innovation system and its role in promoting and maintaining relationships between farmers, the industry, and cooperative unions; employing a case study approach. The main objective was to assess the role of cooperatives in forging farmer-industry linkages and in improving dairy industry innovations. 100 dairy producers in Tanga participated in the survey that led to the paper. A questionnaire was used to collect data from randomly selected farmers. Furthermore, 20 key informant interviews were conducted with various participants, including the Tanga Dairy Cooperative Union livestock extension service providers. Also, one Focus Group Discussion involving 12 participants from the aforementioned stakeholders was held. The findings revealed that over the last three decades, Tanga’s dairy innovation has evolved into a competitive innovation system. It has gone through four phases: development of the capability of dairy farming (1985–1992), the formation of the Dairy Cooperative Union (1993), the development of milk-processing capability (1996–1997–2007), and the phase of improving the innovation capability of the whole system (2008–present). The formal and informal contractual arrangements of the Tanga Dairy Cooperative Union were found to be the primary means for sustaining close ties between dairy farmers and the Tanga Fresh Ltd. These agreements have enhanced collaboration and mutual learning that have contributed to a significant increase in farmers’ milk production and Tanga Fresh Ltd’s processing capacity. Based on the recorded achievements, this paper recommends for the adoption of the identified innovative contractual model to other cattle-rich zones. However, it is also imperative to address identified challenges such as fluctuation of trust between the farmers and the cooperative, and cases of deviation from contractual obligations.
A Morpho-semantic Description of Adjectives in Kipangwa
This paper presents the characteristics of a lexical category adjective in Kipangwa. The lexical category adjective is proposed to be universal, but its realisation varies across languages. This paper offers evidence to authenticate the presence of an independent lexical category adjective in Kipangwa. The study employed a qualitative approach in generating data, analysing the data and reporting the findings. The data for this study were collected through text collections, both spoken and written. Spoken texts/ sentences with adjectives were collected from 18 informants by recording them through a digital audio recorder, while written texts were collected from two (2) Bible storybooks in Kipangwa. The informants were sampled through snowball sampling, whereas the storybooks in Kipangwa were purposefully sampled. The paper reveals that, like other Bantu languages, Kipangwa has a class of adjectives that may be underived or derived. In the derived form, the lexical category nouns and verbs undergo morphological derivations to establish the adjectival category. The paper also shows that Kipangwa has adjectives of different classifications based on 13 semantic classes as proposed by Dixon (2004). It further reveals that adjectives agree in class, number, and person with the noun they modify in the noun phrase. Furthermore, the paper shows that syntactically, adjectives in Kipangwa can occur in the noun phrase’s attributive or predicative position. This paper adds knowledge and understanding of lexical category adjective in Bantu languages.
Language Contest in the Linguistic Landscape of Sabasaba International Trade Exhibitions in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
This inquiry stems from the scarcity of research on linguistic landscape particularly on the intersection between physical landscape, business fairs, and languages in Dar es Salaam. Essentially, it discusses the complexities of linguistic signs at the Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair (DITF) in Tanzania. The central purposes are grounded in the roles of information and symbolism, power dynamics, group identities, language policies, and rationale for the use of specific languages at the fair. Photographic method was employed in the generation of data. The analysis of data was framed in line with informational and symbolic frameworks, and structuration principles. The findings unveil the superiority of Kiswahili and English over other languages, which serve both informational and indexical roles. The linguistic signs illustrate the identities of the makers. The rationale for using Kiswahili, English, Chinese, Japanese; and the absence of ethnic community languages has been justified. Fundamentally, the linguistic signs at the exhibitions converge and deviate from the established language policies. Given the absence of the ethnic languages in the fairgrounds, this article calls for inclusivity in the competitive nature of languages in public spaces. Keywords:
Pre-service Teachers’ Epistemological Understanding of the Language of Instruction: Can Education Policy Stop Kiswahili in Tanzania’s Classrooms?
Language-in-education policies in Sub-Saharan Africa is a topic that has attracted several researchers. The adoption of alien languages as legitimate languages of instruction is a matter that has been seriously challenged. Since the 1960s, the debate in Tanzania has been on which language qualifies for the status of LOI. The answers have been favouring either the alien language (English) or the dominant language (Kiswahili). In 2014 the government launched the education policy, which declares both English and Kiswahili as LOI in post-primary education. In the 2023 edition, the policy was changed to declare English as the sole LOI in post-primary education. This study examined pre-service teachers’ epistemological understanding of using the two languages as LOI. The epistemological understanding model proposed by Kuhn (1991) was used as a conceptual framework. The data from interview revealed that the participants had different epistemological understandings about the issue. The study, therefore, provides a firm standing that pre-service teachers should be prepared and assisted to attain evaluatism understanding for a reasonable selection of LOI in a multilingual community like in Tanzania
post-colonial language-in-education policies.
SULEDO Community-based Forest Reserve: A Contested Terrain between Peasants and Pastoralists in Kiteto District, 1990–2016
This paper examines how the establishment of the SULEDO community forest reserve caused land use conflicts between peasants and pastoralists in Kiteto District from 1990 to 2016. The peasants complained that the government had deliberately made it possible for pastoralists to get more benefits from the reserve since they were allowed to graze their livestock in the reserve, which took large parts of their former agricultural land. Conversely, the grabbing of land by peasants in the forest reserve caused complaints from the pastoralists who claimed that the peasants were grabbing their grazing land in the reserve. Using archival sources, fieldwork interviews, and secondary sources, the study found that the establishment of the SULEDO, by de facto, favoured the pastoralists and directly affected the peasants. The peasants interpreted the establishment of SULEDO as a confiscation of their land by the government in the interest of the state and Maasai pastoralists. The reserve authorities restricted the peasants from expanding their farms, did not allow them to collect firewood and building materials, or undertake related activities in the reserve. This planted seeds of hostility between the peasants and pastoralists. This article argues that the government’s conversion of land into forest reserves without considering the heterogeneity of the community in terms of land use, escalated conflicts over land between the peasants and the pastoralists in Kiteto District. Furthermore, the adoption of inappropriate approaches to conflict resolution did not end the conflicts; instead, the conflicts changed their nature and magnitude.
Academic Staff’s Access and Use of Technological Tools: A Challenge to Blended Learning Implementation In Tanzania’s Tertiary Institutions
This paper explores academic staff’s access to and ability to use technological tools in the course of implementing blended learning system in higher education. In a study, a survey questionnaire was used to collect data from 46 respondents. The results revealed that although academic staff had high self-efficacy towards learning and using technological tools, their access to and use of many technological tools were too limited. This affected their competence and confidence to use such technological tools to teach, and deterred the successful implementation of the blended learning approach. The study concluded that the success of blended learning will depend on the academic staff’s access, and competence and confidence to use technological tools. Therefore, higher education institutions should prepare academic staff for implementing blended learning by providing a conducive environment for effective utilisation of technology. This includes equiping them with support infrastructures, technological facilities, stable internet connectivity and continuous training.
Copyright (c) 2022 Journal of Humanities & Social Science (JHSS)
Reporting from the Angle of Reality: A Comparative Analysis of Sukuma Proverbs and the Social Construction of Power Relations in Traditional Leadership
The Sukuma comprise one of many ethnic groups which respect their traditional leadership. Even after the introduction of new authority by the independent Tanzanian government, they still exercise their traditional leadership of chiefs (Ntemi), which is purely patriarchal. However, there are more evidences from the literature, which suggest that proverbs are useful in articulating power relations in groups as what persist in the Sukuma society. Following this reason, this paper, highlights power relations resulting from the comparative analysis of traditional leadership history and Sukuma proverbs. Specifically, the paper is designed to answer two questions: How does the Sukuma traditional leadership history reflect power relations among the Sukuma? In which ways do the Sukuma proverbs mirror the social construction of power relations in traditional leadership? The study was conducted in Kishapu District in Shinyanga, Tanzania. (Received: 23rd October 2022; Accepted: 20th May 2023; Revised: 27th May 2023)
Copyright (c) 2023 Journal of Humanities & Social Science (JHSS)
Intertextuality and Narrativization of Multiple Perspectives: COVID-19 Pandemic in Popular Songs in Tanzania
Close to the end of 2019, COVID-19, an infectious disease that still wreaks havoc, was discovered in Wuhan – China. The pandemic has become a major worldwide health problem to date. Its socioeconomic and cultural aftermaths have dominated the world’s public discourse. Media and literary artefacts reflect the ongoing debate, education, and communication regarding the pandemic. This paper examines how popular songs represent multiple (social-cultural, economic, and political) perspectives regarding the COVID-19 pandemic in Tanzania. The article focuses on secular and religious song lyrics to ascertain how they convey multiple perspectives regarding an understanding of COVID-19, and whether such views might educate an audience. By drawing ideas from the notion of intertextuality, we argue that Tanzania’s popular songs are a repository of multiple perspectives, which mirror scientific and political views, beliefs, and rumours Tanzanians share regarding COVID-19. We further contend that such songs are a platform through which clashing and conflicting ideas related to COVID-19 manifest, and that through which the audience becomes aware of various ideas and issues related to the pandemic, especially in Tanzania. (Received: 18 th July 2022; Accepted: 17th November 2022; Revised: 26th January 2023)
Language Contact and the State of Multilingualism in the Linguistic Landscape of Tete Province in Mozambique
Mozambique is a multilingual country that adopted Portuguese as the language of official communication right from Independence Day in 1975. Later in the 1990s it adopted 19 Bantu languages as the media of instruction in lower education. This move opened an avenue for Bantu languages to be used in public domains in the country. Since the Metropolitan Maputo had been the centre of previous research of languages of public spaces, this paper looks at the language uses that unfold in the signposts of Tete Province to determine the manifestations of the Bantu languages in urban public spaces. Firstly, the findings pointed out that the monolingual and bilingual signage integrated the Portuguese structure of the noun phrase that puts modifiers before the head-noun, hence making the Portuguese structure dominant. Secondly, the findings reveal the use of international languages even in back streets of the Tete City. These two findings do not rule out the prestige that Bantu languages enjoy, mainly in the naming of shops. The predominance of Bantu languages in the names of shops indicate affiliation to ethnic groups. While the theory of multimodality helped to interpret the signposts, the social identity theory helped to arrive at the conclusion that Tete, the primary home of the Nyungwe, has remained the identity home of the people. Mozambique Received: 10th March 2023; Accepted: 17th April 2023; Revised: 9th July 2023
The Integration of Nouns from English and Kiswahili Into the Grammar of Datooga Language Spoken in Tanzania
This article shows both the contact of English and Kiswahili with Datooga and how noun loans from the two languages are nativized in Datooga. Through elicitation, extraction from oral narrations and reviewing existing documents, English and Kiswahili noun loans were identified in Datooga. The article shows that, regardless of their source, loanwords from the two languages are all integrated into the Datooga noun structure in a uniform way. Phonologically, the loanwords are nativized through replacement of foreign sound with a native sound that has almost similar features in the recipient language, voicing of foreign sounds, vowel heightening and the change of the quality of the final vowel into a whispered one. Morphologically, the nativized nouns are treated like other non-prototypical Datooga nouns, where the primary forms of the nouns become the most used and occurring forms of the nouns. As a result of number and definite marking, the borrowed nouns give rise to the ternary opposition in number/definite marking. Semantically, the borrowed nouns are nativized using the -aj??- formative. The loanwords have been integrated into the Datooga gender based on their semantics. Further semantic broadening and semantic shift are some of the changes in meaning observed. Keywords: (Received: 2 nd November 2022; Accepted: 4 th May 2023; Revised: 9 th July 2023)
HIV/AIDS-related Knowledge, Attitude and Sexual Behaviours Among Undergraduate Students at the Dar es Salaam University College of Education, Tanzania
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is among the major public health problems facing the world today. While studies have assessed HIV-related knowledge, attitudes and behaviours among college students, evidence shows that HIV prevalence among the youth has been growing at an alarming rate in the past five years. Thus, there is need for more studies to assess young people’s knowledge, attitudes and behaviours on HIV/AIDS in higher learning institutions. This study aimed to assess HIV-related knowledge, sexual attitudes and behaviours, as well as the use of HIV prevention services among students at the Dar es Salaam College of Education (DUCE), in Tanzania. The study sample included 574 undergraduate students at the DUCE who were randomly selected to participate in the study. Quantitative approach was used to assess knowledge, attitudes and practices of the students on HIV/AIDS. The knowledge level about HIV/AIDS among students was found to be generally high. Nevertheless, misconceptions about the routes of its transmission were found. Attitudes towards various issues related to HIV/AIDS were generally positive among the majority of students. Regarding sexual behaviours, the majority of the students were characteristically risky. For example, the absolute majority of the students (85.9%) had sexual partners during this survey. Specifically, two-thirds (61.0%) had one sexual partner, while 30.8% had had multiple partners in the past 12 months preceding the study. Moreover, the vast majority (87.7%) had engaged in sexual intercourse, 65.0% had had sex with one partner; while 35% had had sex with more than one partner in the past 12 months. More than half (51.1%) did not use condoms during the last sexual intercourse. The study concludes that DUCE undergraduate students were at a high risk of HIV infections based on various risk indicators that need attention in terms of intervention. This study provides evidence for the design of HIV prevention programmes tailored to the preferences and characteristics of undergraduate students in Tanzania, and in similar contexts. Received: 1 st March 2023; Accepted: 12th April 2023; Revised: 19th May 202
Classroom Discourse in Populated Classes in Tanzania: Questions as Pedagogical Lecturing Strategy at the University of Dar es Salaam
This paper reports the findings of a study on the utilisation of questions by lecturers in facilitating teaching and learning during lectures at the University of Dar es Salaam. Three objectives guided the study: (i) identifying the types of questions that lecturers use to facilitate teaching and learning; (ii) establishing the pattern of lecturers’ use of questions; and (iii) determining why lecturers use questions as a discourse strategy to convey information at a sophisticated level of academic rhetoric to facilitate knowledge delivery. Data used to demonstrate this linguistic practice were collected from eight (8) recorded lectures, and interviews with lecturers teaching first-year students in two departments of the University of Dar es Salaam: Political Science and Public Administration, and Sociology and Social Anthropology. Using the discourse analysis (DA) approach, the study identified and analysed the nature of questions as a discourse strategy for lecturers struggling to cope with rising numbers of undergraduate students, and as part of spoken registers generically applied in university teaching in Tanzania. The study found that lecturers used four types of questions: tag, rhetorical, closed-ended and open-ended questions. It further established that lecturers used the four types of questions as pedagogical strategy to stimulate students, involve them, and to manage a class. These four types of questions played a facilitative role in enabling knowledge transfer during lectures with large numbers of undergraduates being baptised to university teaching methods at the ‘deep-end’. Overall, this question pedagogical strategy proved to be useful at the University of Dar es Salaam that continues to witness a steady growth in the numbers of matriculating undergraduate students. This paper, therefore, broadens the understanding on how university lecturers utilise various discourse strategies to enhance knowledge delivery and understanding. https://10.56279/JHSS.v11i2.3
Knowledge, Attitude and Practices on Non-Communicable Diseases among Students and Staff at the Dar es Salaam University College of Education in Tanzania
Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) are among the major public health problems facing the world today. Despite contributing to over half of all deaths worldwide, and being a major challenge in low- and middle-income countries, NCDs have received less attention. In Tanzania, studies focusing on the assessment of comprehensive knowledge of NCDs are lacking. This study aims to assess knowledge, attitudes and behaviour of the Dar es Salaam University College of Education (DUCE) community on selected NCDs. A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess knowledge, attitudes and practices on selected NCDs. The study involved both students and staff at the DUCE. A descriptive analysis was adopted for the quantitative data collected through structured questionnaires. The study findings show that the general knowledge of the DUCE community about some selected NCDs was generally high. However, there was a very low level of knowledge about risk factors, early symptoms and preventive measures. Regarding risk factors, a very small proportion of students (1.6%) and staff (3.1%) consumed tobacco products. Only 75 (13.1%) of students and 70 (36.5%) of staff consumed alcohol. The intake of fruits and vegetables among the community was insufficient. About 493 (86%) of the students and 135 (70.3%) of the staff added salt or salty sauce to their meals. As for physical activities, 234 (40.8%) of the students and 99 (51.6%) of the staff reported that they ran or participated in games and sports for at least one day in a week. The study concludes that while generally there is a high level of knowledge about NCDs, there is a very low level of knowledge about risk factors, early symptoms and preventive measures. The study underlines the need to increase the awareness of the DUCE population on risk factors associated with NCDs, early signs and preventive measures that people should take to prevent NCDs in the future. https://10.56279/JHSS.v11i2.8
Sexism in Tanzanian Secondary School English Language Textbooks: Investigation of Adjective Attributions
This research paper investigates sexism in Tanzania’s secondary school English language textbooks with a focus on the adjectives used to describe women and men in textbooks published between 2005 and 2014. The paper aims to reveal how women and men are described, uncover gender ideologies conveyed by adjective descriptions and characterise the gender ideologies as hegemonic or deviant. Data were collected through a critical textual review of eight (8) textbooks. This paper is anchored on the Feminist CDA theory; and Fairclough’s three-dimensional framework was used as the analytic tool whereby data were described, interpreted and explained. The findings indicate that women and men are perceived differently in terms of number and types of adjectives attributed to them despite some similar attributions. In particular, there are more adjectives describing men than women. It is also found out that women are described mostly by physical property adjectives than other personalities. The study also revealed that some ideologies conveyed by adjectives are hegemonic, while others are deviant. Generally, the adjectives used to represent women and men in Tanzania’s secondary English language textbooks portray a sexist attitude about women and men since many adjectives still indicate gender stereotypes despite some positive changes. https://10.56279/JHSS.v11i2.7
Judicial Approaches in Plagiarism Litigation: Lessons for Universities in East Africa
The escalation of plagiarism in universities and subsequent litigations by postgraduate students seeking to challenge universities’ decisions through courts of law worldwide are noticeably increasing. This article reviews trends in plagiarism-related litigations involving postgraduate students in universities in East Africa. The focus is on select universities in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. The objective is to determine the approaches that courts of law in the region, and those in other jurisdictions, have adopted in developing legal principles while determining plagiarism-related litigations. The recommendations advanced seek to assist courts in the region to determine cases in accordance with emerging and well-defined legal principles on plagiarism amplified in numerous precedents. The exposition can also inform university authorities to discharge their respective roles more effectively and diligently while dealing with plagiarism-related disciplinary cases. Potential student litigants can also be in a better position to make logical and informed choices with confidence on decisions arrived at by universities. https://10.56279/JHSS.v11i2.6
Confusions Between English Nominal and Adjectival Forms Among Students at the Dar es Salaam University College of Education: Are they Predictable?
This paper examines confusions between English nominal and adjectival forms among students at the Dar es Salaam University College of Education (DUCE). In particular, it establishes consistencies and inconsistencies in the use of English nominal and adjectival forms; and informs pedagogical interventions that can be adopted to redress the situation. Data was collected from a review of selected students’ examination scripts, and then subjected to error analysis in relation to the identified themes. The findings show that students vary greatly in the way they use nominal and adjectival forms such that some errors are consistently predictable, while others are intricately inconsistent and unpredictable. To address the problem, this paper recommends a case-by-case critical analysis of the problems; instead of the general conclusions that students experience problems in language use. Specifically, the paper suggests the need to study the nature, distribution and consistency of the committed errors and/or mistakes so as to come up with effective interventions. https://10.56279/JHSS.v11i2.5
Morphosyntactic Analysis of Relative Clause Markers in Chindali
This article analyses the basic morphosyntactic features of relative clause markers (RMs) in Chindali, spoken in Tanzania. A qualitative approach was employed with a descriptive research design in the process of generating, analysing data, as well as reporting the findings. The data for the study were collected through text collection. The researcher gathered sentences with relative clauses (RCs) from 10 informants by recording them with their consent, and three (3) written Chindali storybooks. Informants were sampled through the snowball technique. The study revealed that Chindali RCs are marked by free-standing relative pronouns that are bound by agreement. These RMs are classified based on the noun class system of the language. It further revealed that RMs can be formed morphologically with or without class agreement marker (CAM). Chindali RMs with CAM have the morphological structure of ‘CAM + stem-o’, whereas RMs without CAM have the morphological structure ‘stem (C/CC+O)’. RMs without CAM results from deletion process. RMs are distinguished phonologically by the reduplication of the consonants of the CAM(s), followed by a clitic ‘o’ which is the root of the marker. It is also distinguished by the affixation of the glides (G) ‘w’ and ‘y’ in some consonants, as well as the change of the vowel to clitic ‘o’. CAM has the phonological shape CVC (G) V. The relative clauses are introduced syntactically by the language’s relative markers placed at the beginning of a clause linking the RC and a head noun; thus, making the RC an NP syntactic modifier. In Chindali, relative clauses are externally headed postnominal relatives introduced by RMs with a NRC pattern expressing class agreement with the head noun. Semantically, relative markers influence the types of RCs that exist, whether they are restrictive or appositive relatives; and modify things, persons, animals or ideas. The study suggests further research into other aspects of Chindali’s relativization. https://10.56279/JHSS.v11i2.4
Has Feminism Changed Women’s Realities in Africa? An Interrogation of the Poems of Ogundipe and Shire
African feminist movements of the 1960’s marked the starting point of debates from the origin of feminism in Africa to its impact on women and the society at large. Literature has from the go been used as a vehicle to reflect the life and its vicissitude on African women. African women writers have used literature as a platform to challenge and re-imagine gender relations within their societies and the continent as a whole. Yet, the question arises: despite half a century’s worth of literary production, has the reality of women, as reflected in literature, changed? This paper thematically interrogates the collection of poems by Molara Ogundipe-Leslie, Sew the Old Days and Other Poems published in 1985, in comparison to Warsan Shire’s Teaching My Mother How to Give Birth of 2011. Both poets are renowned for depicting current issues faced by women and their struggles in patriarchal systems. A thematic analysis allows for the inference of change: do these poets address the same struggles, or has almost thirty-year difference brought about discernible changes? https://10.56279/JHSS.v11i2.2
Diminutive Noun Class in Bantu Languages: Is Kiswahili Deviant?
Noun class prefixes ki-/vi- and ka-/tu- found in Bantu diminutives are widespread despite claims that these affixes are missing in Kiswahili. This study was qualitative, employing data from Kiswahili native speakers, selected literary works of art written in Kiswahili by Kiswahili speakers, and Kiswahili chat messages from WhatsApp forums of Kiswahili speakers. The study reveals that Kiswahili speakers use ka- and tu- affixes in addition to ki-/vi- to form diminutives. These affixes may attach to noun stems as in ka-toto/tu-toto ‘tiny child/tiny children’; or may attach to prefixed stems as pre-prefixes as in ki-m-nazi ‘small/short coconut tree’ and vi-mi-nazi ‘small/short coconut trees. The study findings also reveal that the noun class prefixes trigger agreement on modifiers and verb complexes regardless of their forms as prefixes or pre-prefixes as observed in ki-toto ki-moja ki-zuri ‘one pretty little girl’; or in ka-dada ka-na-miliki-gari ‘pretty little girl owning a car’ where the ki- and ka- on the subject noun stems (-toto and -dada) re-surface as subject markers (SMs) on the modifiers -moja ‘one’ and -zuri ‘pretty’; and on the verb complex -na-miliki ‘owning’. These facts provide strong support for arguing that Kiswahili projects special diminutive affixes in class 12/13 that triggers agreement on other modifiers. https://10.56279/JHSS.v11i2.1